Secret House gets a second chance in Zuma Beach

ARCADIA, Calif. – Secret House will have another chance at an October stakes after having been declared a nonstarter in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes last Saturday at Santa Anita. Secret House is a candidate for the $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf here Monday, trainer Doug O’Neill said.

In the FrontRunner Stakes, jockey Santiago Gonzalez stepped off Secret House as the gate opened and put his right foot on a ledge within the stall. Secret House ran off and was declared a nonstarter by track stewards. Secret House emerged from the race without injury, O’Neill said.

The Zuma Beach Stakes will be Secret House’s first start on turf and his third appearance in a stakes. During the summer, Secret House was fourth in the Santa Anita Juvenile and fifth after a poor start in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar.

“It was an unfortunate go of it in the last couple of races,” O’Neill said. “He’s such a classy horse.”

O’Neill said Tyler Baze will ride Secret House, who is owned by Heads of Plains Racing and Sheep Pond Partners.